Menu Plan Monday - March 28 - April 2

>> Monday, March 29, 2010


Happy Monday everyone!  I hope that the past week was a good one for you and that you are entering the new week with great enthusiasm...I know I am!  It's going to be a great week (attitude is half the battle right?).

This week I am adding in a menu for myself again.  Not completely a raw menu but there will be some raw foods.  I'm really excited about this because I think I have a do-able plan and I have some accountability for myself - it should be very helpful.

Here's this week's menu plan for your & my enjoyment:

Healthy Eating Menu for Mommy{Sunday - Saturday}
Breakfast:
Lunch: 
  • Raw Salad (containing some legumes or lean protein if I desire)
Snacks:
  • Morning -  Fresh Fruit
  • Afternoon - Green Smoothie
Toddler Menu {Monday - Friday}

Lunch: 
Snacks:
  • Monkey Platter
  • Orange wedge & Almond milk
  • Yogurt and Graham crackers
  • Banana bread and Almond Milk
  • Bread sticks & Hummus Dip 
Regular Cooked Menu {Monday - Friday}

Please note - I use organic, local ingredients when possible. Also the recipes usually call for all- purpose flour. I usually use a mix of 1/2 whole wheat & 1/2 white or just all whole wheat. Remember a recipe is just something to go by, feel free to change them up for health/your family's tastes.

Breakfast:
  • Monday - Oatmeal, juice or milk
  • Tuesday - Waffles, juice or milk
  • Wednesday - Homemade fruit bread, yogurt, juice or milk
  • Thursday - Oatmeal, juice or milk
  • Friday -  Scrambled egg sandwich, juice or milk
Lunch: 
  • Monday - whole wheat tortilla chips, chopped veggies & salsa, crackers and cheese, Clementine, popcorn, juice & water
  • Tuesday - Salad, strawberries, yogurt, juice & water
  • Wednesday - Egg salad sandwich, apple slices, celery with cream cheese, juice & water
  • Thursday - Salad, orange wedges, pretzels, fruit bread, juice & water
  • Friday -  Turkey Salad Sandwiches, yogurt, veggie sticks & pieces of fruit, juice & water
Supper:
  • Sunday - Classic Roast Chicken, Brown Rice and Steamed Veggies
  • Monday - *Meatless Monday* Cheese Stuffed Shells, Garlic Breadsticks and Salad
  • Tuesday -  Crock Pot Hungarian Goulash, Whole Wheat Egg Noodles, Roasted Green Beans
  • Wednesday - Crock Pot Pork Chops & Gravy, Butter & Garlic Potatoes, Steamed Broccoli
  • Thursday - Dinner & a Movie Night (Details on Friday) *movie is Wall-E*
  • Friday -  Pepperoni Bread & Salad (this week I will make this lol)

Need more menu planning ideas? Then head over to Laura's @ I'm an Organizing Junkie. Also if your interested in more vegetarian, flexitarian or whole foods menus please check out Jenna's Mindful Menus.



Organizing JunkieMindful Menus


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Mamavation Monday - March 29, 2010

Watch Lives Change So if you've been a reader here the last few months you've likely read my posts about how I want to lose weight and get fit. I've been struggling with this for so long it seems like I will always be battling this issue. On Friday I saw a tweet from @ResourcefulMom recommending @bookieboo & #Mamavation for  a Follow Friday.  (If you don't twitter none of that will make sense to you - just stick with me here).  So I checked it out and I really think this will help me succeed this time.  I have had some great online cheerleaders and some people have said they would join me in getting healthy, but I've never had some place or way that I was really going to be held accountable.  Now, I realize that I'll still have to do the work, but in order to be part of The Sistahood I have to do certain things each week.  And if these girls are going to be checking up on me and expecting to see me post and go to chats then maybe, just maybe it will give me the bit of staying power to stick to my goals that I need.

If I get accepted into The Sistahood I plan on using the blog on the group to post some before, during and after photos, post my food journal and maybe even talk about how I'm doing or struggling as I go on this journey.  I could post all of that here, yes, but honestly that's not what I set this blog up to be.  I am considering starting a separate weight-loss blog but for right now I'm planning on just using the group.

My goals for this week:

  • Drink at least 2 litres of water a day
  • Mon, Wed, Fri - do interval training with #NEWO  (No Excuses Workout DVD), or go for a walk - anything that gets my heart rate up.
  • Tues. & Thrus - do at least one 6 minute #NEWO (will also be taking E to the pool these days)
  • Follow my meal plan.
  • If I mess up do not beat myself up over it. This is a lifestyle change & it will take babysteps.
  • No pop at all.
Oh yes, have any of you heard of Earth Footwear? Wow! If not you have to check out their website. I just heard about them (yes, my rock is really big) and I would absolutely love to have a pair of their sneakers as I start my journey towards health and fitness.  

If you're looking to get fit and get healthy I hope you'll join me & if not I hope that you'll at least be rooting for me to succeed this time. I can do this!


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A Seed Has Been Planted

>> Sunday, March 28, 2010

Photo from: mlwhitt

In my post from a couple days ago I told you all how I had been reading over at (seed) and they were inspiring me.  Well, here it is days later and I'm still being inspired by what I read. Last year I set up a square foot garden. Okay, so really I (I as in hubby) built the frame, I read a book about it but I was paralyzed by fear of not being able to do it "right", so that's as far as we ever got with the garden.

I've been thinking the last few days about that garden and how I really want to grow my own veggies this summer.  Not just because it will be less expensive than buying then at the grocery or farmer's market. But also because I can grow them organically, they will be in my yard so our carbon foot print will be virtually nil. I think it's very important to buy local (when you can) because it supports local farmers but also because it's so much better for the environment.  I truly believe that every small step we make towards preserving our plants helps.  I want to be a good example of what I believe to my children.  I can talk to them all day about things like this but if I don't actually do what I talk about, it's nothing more than words.

So this week I'll be getting out some paper and pencil and making some real plans for our garden this year.  It doesn't matter if I don't do it exactly "right" or if only half of it actually grows. What matters is that I'll be taking another step in living an organic lifestyle that is not harmful for the environment.  That's what is important. Thank you (seed) for planting a seed within me to make these changes and for keeping me thinking about what else I can do for my family and the environment.


This post was written as my entry in a contest hosted by Hip As I Wanna Be and (seed) to win a sponsorship to BlogHer 2010.


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Small Talk Six: Puppy Love

>> Saturday, March 27, 2010

Want to join in? Go here to learn how and to view the weekly Small Talk Six topics for 2010.

Cathy from Let's Be Green Together, told me about this meme for Saturdays over on MomDot.com. I checked it out and knew right away when I saw the topic for this week that I wanted to play along.  The topic today is “6 celebrities you had a crush on when you were a tween or teen.”   In no particular order here are my 6 tween/teen heart-throbs:

1. Kirk Cameron - Yep, I even had a poster of him on the back of my bedroom door.  He was hot in my teen mind.

2. Scott Baio - I wanted Charles in charge of me ;) Funny, my babysitters were all snotty teen girls - how did those kids get so lucky?

3. Ralph Macchio - Who didn't want to date the Karate Kid???

4. Tom Cruise - ok admit it, back in the day he was smokin H.O.T.

5. Patrick Swayze - I watched Dirty Dance more times than I can count and no, I never wished I was Baby....

6. Last but certainly not least Jared Leto - Jordon Catalano...what more is there to say?!

I could easily keep going, but since we're only supposed to list 6 I'll stop. :)


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The Power of a (Seed)

>> Friday, March 26, 2010

SEEDology: Everything begins with a seed.

I recently read the story of (seed) and how the (seed) company and products were born. It really got me thinking about our life at home.  Several years ago I switched to natural cleaners, like vinegar, tea tree oil, and borax to clean the house.  Several reasons at the time prompted the change - I was getting migraines from cleaning products, my husband and daughter both have lung issues and the fumes from the cleaning supplies were bothering them daily and I was concerned about the effect these products had on the environment as I used them and discarded them.  The bonus that came from switching was the cost - who doesn't like to save money right?   Last year I switched from using laundry detergent to using soap nuts (I had already switched to vinegar for fabric softener) and I'm really pleased with how soap nuts work.  I try hard to feed my family organic foods when I can.  What goes in our body is so extremely important to our health and that includes the chemicals found in and on our foods.

So you might be asking yourself what else could she possibly need to do for her family?  The one place I've been letting slide by is in the products we use on our bodies.  I've been careful to try and buy products not tested on animals, because I do feel that is important but I've not gone so far as to make sure the products we use are really natural.  I know a lot of products claim that title but not all body care products really are all natural.  This is where (seed) comes in - they are 100% Natural.  Soap isn't really a hard product to find that is all natural but (seed) has an all natural body lotion and an all natural shampoo bar! I am really excited about those two products. Finding a hair care product that is safe for our body and good on the environment is not always an easy task. I've tried no-poo for myself but convincing my family to go no-poo isn't going to happen. I know that I could get them to use a shampoo bar though.

I'm so happy that I have learned about (seed) and that their story has inspired me to take my family's organic living to the next step. You can read their story and look at their products here.  I hope that a seed will be planted in your mind to do something good for yourself today and every day.


This post was written as my entry in a contest hosted by Hip As I Wanna Be and (seed) to win a sponsorship to BlogHer 2010.


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Earth Hour™ 2010

>> Thursday, March 25, 2010

Earth Hour™ 2010

On March 27 at 8:30 p.m.the world will turn off its lights for just one hour – Earth Hour – to show it’s possible to take action on climate change. Switching off your lights is just one simple action that you can take to help make a difference and it sends a powerful message that we care about our planet.

Last year, over 10 million Canadians turned off their lights for Earth Hour in a show of concern to the government. This demonstrates that people are taking personal action to reduce their footprint and that they expect the same level of commitment from government. People and businesses from coast-to-coast celebrated with candle-light parties, moonlight walks and other events to commemorate the hour power down.

This year, WWF is hoping to make Earth Hour more than a symbolic event but we need your help to make it happen. It is important people understand that we each have an important role to play in the fight against climate change. Our everyday actions, like turning off unnecessary lights, individually add up to make a big difference.

Why Participate:

Climate change is the biggest environmental threat to our planet.. We are already seeing its impact. Participating in Earth Hour is a simple way to show that you want to be a part of the solution.

Globally, we are also up against a deadline to stop dangerous climate change. In 2012, the Kyoto Accord, the most significant international agreement to control greenhouse gas emissions, will expire.

In June 2010, Canada will play host to the G8 and G20 Summits – meetings where the most powerful heads of state come together to discuss the world’s most pressing issues including climate change. It is important to come to a new climate agreement which extends past Kyoto. The process needs to start now because it will take 2-3 years for ratification and to ensure a seamless transition.

What you can do:

1. Sign-up for Earth Hour at www.EarthHourCanada.org and turn off your lights on March 27  at 8:30 p.m. for one hour

2. Promote Earth Hour to your friends, family, and colleagues

3. Make every hour Earth Hour - Consider what else can be done within your home and workplace to drive change in behaviour and practices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

For more information on how to participate, or who is participating, visit www.EarthHourCanada.org. There are also useful tools to help you promote Earth Hour including posters, FAQ’s, logos and more.

Thanks for your support!

WWF-Canada





My family participated in Earth Hour last year and we will be doing it again this year.  It can be a lot of fun, light candles, tell stories, play a game (we'll likely play cards and toys).  Are you going to participate in Earth Hour this year?  What are you planning to do with your family during this hour? If you're participating, write a blog post and link up with me here.  Leave a comment telling us all what you are going to be doing for Earth Hour.  Let's spread the word and take a stand against global warming.


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Wordless Wednesday - Then & Now - 2 Years

>> Wednesday, March 24, 2010




Wordless Wednesday is sponsored by GeneaBloggers,
but the main site for WW entries is here. You can also link up at The Misplaced Midwesterner, Extraordinary Mothers, 5 Minutes for Mom & Live and Love Out Loud


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Menu Plan Monday - March 21 - 26

>> Monday, March 22, 2010


How was your week last week?  We had a fabulous March Break.  The kids I think had a great time. It was Miss. Bean's birthday, St. Paddy's Day, we went to the movies, played outdoors - had the best weather over a March Break that I can ever remember, and spent some time with great friends all through the week.

Now this week, we're back to school and routines. That week vacation sure made me (and the kids) anxious for summer break. Also this week we will be celebrating Little E's 2nd birthday!  How is it possible my little baby is going to be 2 already? I swear it seems like he was just born a couple months ago.  Although, the temper tantrums are a quick reminder that he wasn't. ;)

So with routines back in place and a birthday on the calendar - here is this week's menu:

Toddler Menu {Monday - Friday}

Lunch: 
Snacks:
  • Monkey Platter
  • Orange wedge & Almond milk
  • Yogurt and Graham crackers
  • Banana bread and Almond Milk
  • Bread sticks & Avocado Dip 
Regular Cooked Menu {Monday - Friday}

Please note - I use organic, local ingredients when possible. Also the recipes usually call for all- purpose flour. I usually use a mix of 1/2 whole wheat & 1/2 white or just all whole wheat. Remember a recipe is just something to go by, feel free to change them up for health/your family's tastes.

Breakfast:
  • Monday - Oatmeal, juice or milk
  • Tuesday - Waffles, juice or milk
  • Wednesday - Homemade fruit bread, yogurt, juice or milk
  • Thursday - Oatmeal, juice or milk
  • Friday -  Scrambled egg sandwich, juice or milk
Lunch: 
  • Monday - Salsa & Whole grain chips, apple & cheese slices, veggie sticks, juice & water
  • Tuesday - Salad, strawberries, yogurt, juice & water
  • Wednesday - Egg salad sandwich, apple slices, celery with cream cheese, juice & water
  • Thursday - Salad, orange wedges, pretzels, fruit bread, juice & water
  • Friday -  Bagel with cream cheese, yogurt, veggie sticks & pieces of fruit, juice & water
Supper:
  • Sunday - BBQ at friends - I made potato salad and dinner rolls
  • Monday - Potato Sausage Skillet & Salad
  • Tuesday -  American Goulash & Salad (E's birthday!! We will have cake for dessert)
  • Wednesday - Crock pot Carnitas & Mexican Rice
  • Thursday - Quesadillas (using leftover Carnitas & rice)
  • Friday -  Pepperoni Bread & Salad (didn't make last week)
Need more menu planning ideas? Then head over to Laura's @ I'm an Organizing Junkie. Also if your interested in more vegetarian, flexitarian or whole foods menus please check out Jenna's Mindful Menus.



Organizing JunkieMindful Menus


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Blog "Spring Cleaning" - Day Eight

>> Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Day 8: Interlink your old blog posts

The assignment Mariana (riding with no hands) posted for day 8, was a nice and easy one. While I don't always link to another post I wrote, I occasionally do and I also use LinkWithin to post related posts and the end of my posts.  I am not sure if this is helpful in terms of SEO but based on my stats readers occasionally click the links, so that is helpful I would think.  New readers can see older posts that may interest them and then in turn may subscribe or follow.  Do I need to manually link my other posts within my own post in order to increase my SEO or is using LinkWithin helpful in that area?


The second half of the assignment was to update our copyright statement for 2010.  I don't have a copyright statement and I did some searching to find one for blogger and I didn't see one.  If anyone knows of a copyright statement for blogger or where I can find one, would you please let me know? :)


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Blog "Spring Cleaning" - Day Seven

Day 7: Write a link post

The assignment for day 7 was to include a link to at least one other blog.  This was not too difficult for me as I usually link to another blog or website in nearly every post I write.  The most recent example of this would be the post I wrote entitled Toddlers, Tantrums and Gentle Discipline.  I'm also thinking about expanding this idea into a weekly link post.  I may list blog posts I've read that have been particularly inspiring or even a website that I found something interesting on.  Would you be interested in reading this type of post?


The second half of the assignment was to clean up our sidebar.  I did just that on day 2 when I moved my blogroll, I went ahead and got rid of the things I felt were just clutter.

Thanks again Mariana (riding with no hands) for hosting this challenge!


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Menu Plan Monday - March 14 - 19

>> Monday, March 15, 2010


This week the kids are out of school on March break and this week is also Miss. Bean's actual birthday - she's a St. Paddy's baby (Imagine her 19th birthday will be F.U.N. haha). So this week I really didn't need to make a separate toddler menu, I'm just going to try giving them all the same things and if I need to make something different so he'll eat then I will (after he tries the other things - he's usually not too picky so I'm not real worried).

Anyhow here is this week's menu for your enjoyment:

Regular Cooked Menu {Monday - Friday}

Please note - I use organic, local ingredients when possible. Also the recipes usually call for all- purpose flour. I usually use a mix of 1/2 whole wheat & 1/2 white or just all whole wheat. Remember a recipe is just something to go by, feel free to change them up for health/your family's tastes.

Breakfast:
  • Monday - Oatmeal, juice or milk
  • Tuesday - Waffles, juice or milk
  • Wednesday - Homemade fruit bread, yogurt, juice or milk
  • Thursday - Oatmeal, juice or milk
  • Friday -  Scrambled egg sandwich, juice or milk
Lunch: 
  • Monday - Cold plate & juice
  • Tuesday - Salad, melon pieces, yogurt, juice & water
  • Wednesday - Egg salad sandwich, apple slices, celery with cream cheese, juice & water
  • Thursday - Tuna salad sandwiches, orange wedges, pretzels, fruit bread, juice & water
  • Friday -  Macaroni & cheese, yogurt, veggie sticks & pieces of fruit, juice & water
Snacks:
  • Monkey Platter
  • Orange wedge & Almond milk
  • Yogurt and Graham crackers
  • Quick fruit bread or muffin and Almond Milk
  • Bread sticks & Avocado Dip 
Supper:
*check back later this week for links to recipes*
  • Sunday - Pasta Pie (in honor of Pi day), garlic bread and salad
  • Monday - Leftovers from Sunday
  • Tuesday - Crock pot French Dip on Homemade Baguettes, Coleslaw 
  • Wednesday - *St. Paddy's Day + Miss. Bean's 10th Birthday* Corned Beef Dinner, Irish Soda Bread & cake of her choice.
  • Thursday - Grilled sausages or hot dogs, baked potatoes (in the crock pot) & steamed veggies
  • Friday -  Pepperoni Bread & Salad

Need more menu planning ideas? Then head over to Laura's @ I'm an Organizing Junkie. Also if your interested in more vegetarian, flexitarian or whole foods menus please check out Jenna's Mindful Menus.


Organizing JunkieMindful Menus


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Toddlers, Tantrums & Gentle Discipline

Last week I had to go shopping for Miss. Bean's birthday party decorations. I was on my own with E and we would have to go to a store that I knew wouldn't have a cart to put him in.  Before I left home I thought about taking my sling with me, but unless E is tired or in the mood to be carried I knew this would be pointless.  So off we went, I was hoping for the best. omg! Let me be clear - he wasn't being bad, he was being 2 (nearly 2)!  He found great pleasure in running up and down the isles - never touching anything - just a great game of chase...
As E is nearing 2 years old he's really showing me that he is almost 2 - you know, tantrums, running around, listening when he "wants" to do so.  With my other children I always said no such thing as the "terrible two's" just wait for the "terrible three's", yeah E is disproving my theory (at least I hope - can't imagine 3 being harder than this!).  I'm struggling as a parent.  I've always been an attachment parent to a degree with all of my children and with each child my mindset as an AP has deepened.  The ways that I may have disciplined my children in the past, no longer feel like the right thing for me. Not because I want to spoil him or I am too soft. I just want to teach him, not make him.  Does that make sense?  I don't want him to run down the store isles because he is afraid he will get a "time-out" or a "swat" *gasp*.  I want to teach him that he shouldn't run down the isles because mommy needs to get the shopping finished, because he could fall, because he could end up getting hurt. But he's 2!  How do I teach him these things without losing my mind in the process? I'll be honest, when he's having a screaming fit I'd really like to do the same - but I know that isn't teaching him anything positive either.

I've read a few great blog posts the last few weeks dealing with this issue.  I thought I would post them here in case any of you are dealing the same sort of situation with your toddler. Plus they will be in a handy spot for me to come have a refresher course when I'm losing it.

Natural Papa writes It's Not Called Permissive Parenting
Naomi Aldort at The Natural Child Project writes Surviving the Toddler Years
Staying Patient from API Speaks

This parenting gig really doesn't get much easier with each child - at least not for me.  As each of my children are different, I'm a different parent too.  How do you as an attachment parent or parent who believes in gentle discipline handle parenting your toddlers?  Have you written or read a great post on this subject? If so please share, I can use all the help I can get.


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Blog "Spring Cleaning" - Day Six

Day 6 – 27 must-read tips & tutorials for bloggers

This assignment wasn't difficult really, it was time consuming because there was a lot of information to read and process. Even though it took a lot of time to read through all the different articles it was well worth it.  Some of the information I already knew or had read before but even that stuff was worth reading again. And some of the information was very new and I'm still working on processing it and figuring out how or if I want to apply it to my blog.

I think one of the best articles I read was 43 Web Design Mistakes You Should Avoid, written by Daniel Scocco from Daily Blog Tips.  I think every blogger should read this article.  Some of the most common (and annoying - can we say auto play music!) blogger errors are covered in this article. One thing I had just recently started doing was using a new browser window with links.  I personally like this feature *shrug* but apparently it annoys lots of users.  Does it annoy you or do you like when you click a link and it opens in a new window?  I will stop having my links open that way and trust that if you like my blog you'll find your way back. :)


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Blog "Spring Cleaning" - Day Five

Day 5 - Email a Blog Reader
Part one of this assignment was relatively easy.  Not because it was something I was doing already, but this is something that I can implement daily without using time that I often do not have. Seriously, how long does it take to email a new commenter to say "Thanks for stopping by my blog"? Oh about 3 minutes. ;)  So I'm going to make an effort to email a couple people every day.  Sometimes it may be a new person, other times it might be someone who comments regularly.  If you blog you know that it's really nice to see comments. Even though I mainly write for my enjoyment it's nice to see that others are enjoying (or not) what I put out there.  I think this is a nice way to let them know that I value their comments.

Part two wasn't all that difficult either.  We were supposed to spend some time looking over our email systems.  I still need to work with mine a bit.  I'm using gmail and I've still not spent enough time learning how to use it effectively.  I also need to work harder at responding immediately to things I read.  Often I'll read an email and I'll say ok, later I need to ____ . Sometimes it takes me several days to get back to finishing what I should have done right away.

Thank you to Mariana @ riding with no hands,  for hosting this Blog Spring Cleaning.  I am really enjoying it and learning so much!


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Wordless Wednesday - You Can't See Me

>> Wednesday, March 10, 2010


Wordless Wednesday is sponsored by GeneaBloggers,
but the main site for WW entries is here.


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Skin MD Natural™ Review and Giveaway! CLOSED

>> Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Sarah won a bottle of SkinMD with the winning comment #20!!


My little guy has eczema and I have chronically dry hands year round so when I received an email from Amber at 21st Century Formulations with an offer to review a bottle of Skin MD Natural™ I was thrilled!

Here's what Skin MD Natural™ has to say about their product:
Skin MD Natural™ is made in the US and is specially formulated using high quality natural ingredients making it over 90% all natural with all ingredients being of food grade and on the FDA's most safe list. It is free of harmful fragrances, parabens, and colorants making it hypoallergenic. We don't participate in animal testing nor does the lotion contain any animal products.

A shielding lotion is unlike any other conventional, artificial moisturizers because it works with the skin to naturally moisturize and heal. Most conventional, artificial moisturizers only add moisture to the surface of the skin, but do little to repair the skin's natural barrier against moisture robbing irritants. Skin MD Natural breaks the dry skin cycle by working to help restore skin's natural protective abilities by bonding to the outer layer of skin, strengthening skins natural barrier against toxins and irritants that can dry the skin, while locking in the skin's natural oils.

The first time I opened the bottle and started using it, I noticed right away this wasn't your typical lotion.  It was silky. My hands weren't greasy or sticky while waiting for the lotion to dry.  In fact the lotion was absorbed right away so I didn't have to wait for it to dry! I was very surprised that right from the beginning my hands felt so much better and now they even looked younger.  I don't know about you but especially in the winter my face gets so dry and tight feeling.  Well, one morning after my shower I thought I'll go ahead and see how this works as a facial moisturizer.  At the worst I'd just have to wash my face right away.  I'm prone to breakouts so I really have to watch what I put on my face. Skin MD Natural™ was amazing! I've been using it every few days on my face and no breakouts!

I've also been using the lotion nearly daily on E's eczema, and I wish now I had taken before and after photos for you.  He is all clear except for one spot near his diaper line - I think that would be all clear too if he was potty trained - but even that spot is so much better. He had a doctor appointment last week and even the doctor comment on how his eczema was clear except for that one spot. All the other lotions and creams I've tried on his skin never gave me the results I have gotten using Skin MD Natural™.

Skin MD Natural™ Benefits
See the list of ingredients
  • No animal products or testing
  • Dermatology tested
  • Fragrance and colorant free
  • Hypoallergenic
  • Paraben free
  • Non-comedogenic
So now that you've heard how much I loved the product don't you want to try it for yourself? Well you can!

Buy It: Can't wait to see if you win the giveaway? You can buy a bottle of Skin MD Natural™ for $18. Even better for the next 30 days (expires April 7, 2010) enter the discount code "RAMBLE" for 20% off your purchase!

Win It: One of you lucky readers is going to win a bottle of  Skin MD Natural™ (US and Canada!!)

Mandatory Entry: (remember to leave each entry in a separate comment box or it won't count)
  • Visit Skin MD Natural and tell me what product is your favorite. (1 entry)
Really want to try Skin MD Natural™? Here are some ways you can get extra entries: 
  • Blog about this giveaway linking back to Typical Ramblings, Atypical Nonsense and Skin MD Natural leave the URL where you did (2 entries)
  • Follow Me with Google Friend Connect (1 entry)
  • Subscribe to Typical Ramblings, Atypical Nonsense (1 entry)
  • Follow Me on Twitter @Luvschweetheart AND Tweet about this giveaway; leave the URL where you did. (you may tweet once per day for an extra entry) (1 entry per day)
  • Become a Fan of Typical Ramblings, Atypical Nonsense on Facebook (1 entry)
  • Purchase something from Skin MD Natural before this giveaway ends and leave a comment. (5 entries)
You must leave your email in your comment so that I can contact you.

This giveaway is open to US and Canada! Giveaway will end March 21, 2010 at 10:00 pm EST. A winner will be chosen by random.org and will be notified by email. I will announce the winner at the top of this post as well. You must contact me within 48 hours. If you fail to claim your prize, a new winner will be chosen by random.org and emailed. 

**Disclosure: I received the Skin MD Natural free of charge in exchange for this review. The opinions expressed are my own**



WINNER ANNOUCED:
   

Congratualtions Sarah! Hope you love SkinMD as much as I have. :)


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Blog "Spring Cleaning" - Day Four

Day 4: Analyze a top blog in your niche

This assignment was both difficult and eye-opening.  When I first read the assignment Marianna (riding with no hands) gave us today I wasn't sure that I could do it.  It took a couple of reads and clicking over to ProBlogger before I had my ah-ha moment. Before today I really didn't even know what my niche was. I mean is there a niche for a mish mash of stuff on a blog? Turns out there is - pretty amazing isn't it? I think I most closely identify with the lifestyle bloggers - which according to Mariana's post is saturated - That means a lot of people are blogging in a similar manner as I do and they are doing well at it!  Once I figured that out it was a big light bulb moment - even more that what I learned on day 1.

Once I figured that out I could get to work on the homework:
  • Take 15 minutes to analyze a top blog in your niche - The blog I decided to analyze was Feels Like Home.  I picked her blog because she blogs about crafting, recipes, homemaking, and even personal stuff (all the things I like to blog about) and she does it well. Her stats show that! I used Alexa.com and Compete.com to analyze her site and well, it was hard to even compare since my site doesn't even show up on either one of those sites.  So obviously the biggest difference is in traffic.  Her site is well organized and easy to navigate even though there is a lot of information. Another big difference is in the frequency of posts.  She posts nearly every day if not every day - sometimes more than once a day! I'm not sure how she manages to do it all. Tara if you're reading this - please be my mentor :)  Maybe the more you post the faster you get at it?
  • Take 15 minutes to analyze your blog - Okay this really didn't even take me 15 minutes ;) I kid - sorta.  I looked at my stats and I can see when I participate in memes I generate a lot of traffic. How much of that traffic becomes a regular reader? I have no idea.  Even on my high traffic days I don't generate many comments. How do I engage you more?   Also of course my numbers are better when I blog on a regular basis - seems you folks like reading even if you don't comment. ;)  So I'm going to make a concentrated effort to try to blog more frequently.  I know life gets in the way but other bloggers do this so it must be attainable right?  
Even though this post talked a lot about numbers that really isn't why I blog.  I enjoy blogging, so I really blog for myself and hope you are enjoying it.  Is there something more you would like to see here? Something you would like to see me blog about more often?  


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Blog "Spring Cleaning" - Day Three {Promote a Blog Post}



The third assignment in the Blog 'Spring Cleaning' challenge hosted by Mariana, from Riding with No Hands, is to promote a blog post. I pretty much use Twitter and Facebook to promote my blogs.  Sometimes I question social media etiquette - I wonder how many times is it acceptable to promote a blog post?  I know sometimes I'll see some being posted many times in one day and then days later see them promoting the post again. Personally unless it's a giveaway I usually just stick to promoting a few times the day I post it. If a post is generating a lot of traffic or comments I might extend that by a day or two at most.  What are your rules for post promotion?


Homework for this assignment:

  • Promote one of my posts - This was fairly simple as today is Crafty Tuesday on my blog so I wrote a post and shared it on Twitter and Facebook.  I've tried to figure out Stumble (I do have an account) but I feel really awkward stumbling my own posts and I don't like begging for stumbles either. Having said that if you have Stumble and you stumble my post I would appreciate it. Let me know if you do and I will absolutely return the favor. :)
  •  Leave a comment on 5 blogs minimum - This was a great challenge for me.  I have a lot of blogs in my Google Reader that I visit each day and I rarely leave a comment.  I'm going to work harder at leaving a comment on the posts I read and enjoy. I know I love comment love so other bloggers would too!
  • Create a Facebook Page for your Blog - I've had a page for sometime now so I didn't need to create one, but I went over and updated a few things. Got rid of notes (because I want people to actually come to my blog right!) and figured out Networked Blogs for posting.  Probably could use a bit more work so I'll go visit some other pages and see how they are using their Facebook Page to promote their blog. 


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Blog "Spring Cleaning" - Day Two {Write a List Post}


I'm still playing catch up on the challenge hosted by Mariana from Riding with No Hands.  On day two our homework consisted of writing a list post.  Oh yeah! I love making lists so I knew I could really get into this one. I probably make a new list every single day so bringing that over to my blog occasionally (maybe weekly) would be a lot of fun for me.  I really enjoyed this task and wrote about 14 Craft Sites for Inspiration for my Crafty Tuesday post.

The second step in our homework was to update our blogroll. I've read elsewhere (maybe ProBlogger?) that you want to keep people on your blog as long as possible so putting your blogroll on a separate page or at the bottom of your page is a good idea.  I'm not really great at html formating and I knew I wanted to break my link blogroll into categories, so I decided to move the whole thing to the bottom of my page. Take a scroll down there when you're done reading and look at all the great blogs I love to read and share with you.

If you have a blog and would like to be added to my blogroll (button or link), just let me know and I'd love to add you!


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Crafty Tuesday - 14 Craft Sites for Inspiration

Welcome to another edition of Crafty Tuesday.  This week you won't find me crafting but instead I'm going to share with you some of the best places I've found around the net for craft inspiration. Some of the sites are geared solely for children, some for grown-ups (we all still have fun being creative right?) and some have a mixture for both.  Let's get clicking!

Find Some Craft Inspiration and Get Crafty!

  1. No Time For Flash Cards She has crafts and activities for kids of all ages that are not only fun but educational too.
  2. The Crafty Crow:  A round-up of some great children's crafts from around the net.
  3. Art Projects for Kids: Art lessons for kids of any age. If you have a child really into learning about art you won't want to skip this site.
  4. Craft Jr:  Crafts, recipes and party ideas for kids through teens
  5. One Crafty Place: This site is closed now but there is still a great archive of crafts and recipes to make for and with kids.
  6. Little Birdie Secrets: Crafts for kids and grown-ups and some really great tutorials.
  7. One Pretty Thing: I love this site! It's another round-up site of great crafts from around the net - just fantastic content. There is sure to be something there for everyone!
  8. Homemade by Jill: She has such cute ideas. When I visit I have a huge desire to run out and buy a sewing machine and try everything she has posted. If you sew, this site is for you!
  9. Knock Off Wood: Not really a crafting site, more of a DIY building site. She has a great tutorial to make a set of clip art rails for you to hang all the art work made by your lovies.
  10. Cooking Up Crafty Fun: All sorts of fun crafts and fun recipes!
  11. Make and Takes: An endless supply of creative ideas for you and your children.
  12. Plumpudding: Crafts & recipes for kids and grown-ups too.
  13. Skip to My Lou: One of the first crafting sites I ever followed - she has some really great ideas and some of the best teacher appreciation ideas I've ever seen!
  14. DianeDenmark: Last but certainly not least - she's one of my fellow Crafty Tuesday friends. Diane shows you that you can even make a great craft in just 15 minutes!
    I hope you enjoyed this list and maybe you've found a few new favorites to add to your reader. Do you have any favorite craft sites you visit for inspiration?

     Now that you've been inspired go get crafty!

    Did you create a something for Crafty Tuesday? Link up here:


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    Blog "Spring Cleaning" - Day 1

    >> Monday, March 8, 2010

     Day One - Write an Elevator Pitch for Your Blog

    “An elevator pitch is an overview of an idea for a product, service, or project. The name reflects the fact that an elevator pitch can be delivered in the time span of an elevator ride (for example, thirty seconds or 100-150 words).”Wikipedia

    Since last Friday I've been reading a series of blog posts written by my friend Cathy from Let's Be Green Together.  She's been participating in a Blog 'Spring Cleaning' Challenge hosted by Mariana from Riding With No Hands. Every post that has been written so far, I've read and thought oh I should do that or oh that's a great idea! Finally yesterday I started asking a few questions and this morning I decided to take the plunge and join the challenge. What do I have to lose other than the opportunity to learn something and possibly make my blog better. I'd be foolish not to participate right?

    This morning Cathy offered to be my sounding board and help me work through some things about my blog.  I've known before this challenge that I really needed a tag line for my blog. When I decided on the name of my blog I felt it was a good choice for me but making a tag line was very difficult to come up with after the fact. We bounced some ideas back and forth, she asked some questions and we she came up with the best tag line for my blog -
    Somewhat Normal, Mostly Unusual, Always Authentic  
    Don't you just love it? I do! I think it fits me and my blog perfectly.  Thank you again Cathy!

    I took a break after that to think about my blog and do some reading over on the ProBlogger site. I've really been struggling with my blog lately. To me it felt like I had no direction over here and I didn't know what to write about or what was okay for me to write about.  After reading I made a few lists and while the things I write about aren't going to drastically change I realize now that my blog has always had a direction I just wasn't aware of it. Once that was out of the way Cathy and I again spent sometime chatting (her cheering me on and really pushing me to be bold) and I think with her help I was able to come up with a pretty good pitch.
    Hi, I’m Krista! Your resident eco-chick, craft loving, organizational freak and a rock star in the kitchen! I'm also a fantastic mom - just ask my kids! I love learning and sharing new ideas for natural parenting and creative family fun on a budget. So come back often and see what I’ll be rambling about next!


    Speaking of rambling, one blog just wasn’t enough. You can also see what I’m cooking and organizing next at:


    Home Organization 365


    To Cook or Not to Cook
    So what are your thoughts? Tell me what you think. If you're reading this I want to hear from you!


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    Menu Plan Monday - March 7 - 12


    It's going to be a busy week for me as I have Miss. bean's 10th birthday party to prepare for and next week is March break. I am going to try to get a lot accomplished this week so next week we can hopefully go do some fun things. Therefore this week is relying heavily on a cook once eat a few times menu. Hopefully the less I have to worry about cooking the more I can get things checked off on my list.

    Hope you all have a fantastic week, it seems like spring is starting to settle in most places - enjoy it!


    Toddler Menu {Monday - Friday}

    Lunch: 
    Snacks:
    • Monkey Platter
    • Orange wedge & Almond milk
    • Yogurt and Graham crackers
    • Banana bread and Almond Milk
    • Bread sticks & Avocado Dip 
    Regular Cooked Menu {Monday - Friday}

    Please note - I use organic, local ingredients when possible. Also the recipes usually call for all- purpose flour. I usually use a mix of 1/2 whole wheat & 1/2 white or just all whole wheat. Remember a recipe is just something to go by, feel free to change them up for health/your family's tastes.

    Breakfast:
    • Monday - Oatmeal, juice or milk
    • Tuesday - Waffles, juice or milk
    • Wednesday - Homemade fruit bread, yogurt, juice or milk
    • Thursday - Oatmeal, juice or milk
    • Friday -  Scrambled egg sandwich, juice or milk
    Lunch: 
    • Monday - Tuna sandwich, crackers and cheese, Clementine, popcorn, juice & water
    • Tuesday - Salad, strawberries, yogurt, juice & water
    • Wednesday - Egg salad sandwich, apple slices, celery with cream cheese, juice & water
    • Thursday - Salad, orange wedges, pretzels, fruit bread, juice & water
    • Friday -  Bagel with cream cheese, yogurt, veggie sticks & pieces of fruit, juice & water
    Supper:

    Need more menu planning ideas? Then head over to Laura's @ I'm an Organizing Junkie. Also if your interested in more vegetarian, flexitarian or whole foods menus please check out Jenna's Mindful Menus.


    Organizing JunkieMindful Menus


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